The present invention relates to shape-formed three dimensional articles which are moisture vapour permeable and liquid impermeable and comprise liquid impermeable formed structures having an enhanced moisture vapour permeability and comprising thermoplastic compositions having a higher processability. The shape-formed three dimensional articles of the present invention can find a variety of applications wherein moisture vapour permeability combined with liquid imperviousness are desirable.
Articles comprising structures which provide a liquid barrier in addition to providing moisture vapour permeability are known in the art. Particularly preferred for this type of moisture vapour permeable, liquid impermeable articles are hydrophilic thermoplastic compositions forming a continuous structure, e.g. a continuous film that does not allow the flow of moisture vapour through open pores or apertures in the material, but does transfer substantial amounts of moisture vapour through the film by absorbing water on one side of the film where the moisture vapour concentration is higher, and desorbing or evaporating it on the opposite side of the film where the moisture vapour concentration is lower.
For example WO 95/16746 discloses films prepared from mixtures of a) block copolyether ester, block copolyether amides (e.g. Pebax(trademark)) and or polyurethane and b) thermoplastic polymer which is incompatible with (a), and c) a compatibiliser. The films are liquid impermeable and have moisture vapour permeability of about 700 g/m2xc2x7day. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,783 discloses a vapour permeable water resistant multi component film structure having at least three layers. The outer layers are hydrophobic copolyetherester elastomers having a thickness of 1.3-7.6 micrometers and a WVTR of 400-2500 g/m2xc2x724 h and the inner layer is a hydrophilic copolyetherester elastomer having a thickness of 7.6-152 micrometers and a WVTR of at least 3500 g/m2xc2x724h.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,875 discloses a waterproof, bloodproof and virusproof breathable laminate. The laminate comprises a woven/nonwoven fabric and an extruded film such as Hytrel(trademark) having a thickness of about 1 mil (25.4 micrometers).
Other composite laminates are described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,610 which discloses tri-laminated fabric for surgical gowns comprising outer layers of woven fabric and an inner layer of a microporous polyurethane membrane. The microporous film has a thickness of 12-55 micrometers and a MVTR of 1100 g/m2xc2x724 h upright and 5500 g/m2xc2x724 h inverted (ASTM E96-B). Polyether-polyurethane adhesive is used to join the layers.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,053 discloses a high moisture transmission medical film which can be laminated onto a nonwoven material. The laminate film comprises a first layer of polyetherester copolymer and second and third layers selected from a specified group of polymers. The film has a MVTR of greater than 750 g/m2xc2x724 h (ASTM F1249) and a thickness of less than 1 mil (25.4 micrometer) preferably 0.6 mil to 0.75 mil (15-19 micrometers).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,752 discloses absorbent articles comprising films of copolyether esters which have reduced water permeability, a water vapour permeability of 500 g/m2xc2x724 h (as measured in a specified described test) and a thickness of 5-35 micrometers. There is no disclosure of a supportive substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,870 discloses a flexible layered waterproof product comprising a textile material covered with a film of a copolyetherester having an MVTR of at least 1000 g/m2xc2x724 h (ASTM E96-66) having a thickness of 5 to 35 micrometers.
GB 2024100 discloses a flexible layered water resistant article comprising a microporous hydrophobic outer layer which is moisture vapour permeable but resist liquids and a hydrophilic inner layer of polyetherpolyurethane having a MVTR of above 1000 g/m2xc2x724 h.
In our patent application entitled xe2x80x9cShape-formed, three dimensional, moisture vapour permeable, liquid impermeable articles comprising moisture vapour permeable, liquid impermeable structures comprising low viscosity thermoplastic compositionsxe2x80x9d filed on the same day as the present application (PandG case CM2131F), shape-formed three dimensional articles are disclosed comprising thermoplastic compositions for making hydrophilic continuous moisture vapour permeable, liquid impermeable structures, e.g. layers, comprised in said articles, having preferred characteristics of moisture vapour permeability and liquid imperviousness. The thermoplastic compositions comprise preferred thermoplastic polymers such as polyurethanes, poly-ether-amides block copolymers, polyethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, polyethylene oxide and its copolymers, poly lactide and copolymers, polyamides, polyester block copolymers, sulfonated polyesters, poly-ether-ester block copolymers, poly-ether-ester-amide block copolymers, polyacrylates, polyacrylic acids and derivatives, ionomers, polyethylene-vinyl acetate with a vinyl acetate content of more than 28 weight %, polyvinyl alcohol and its copolymers, polyvinyl ethers and their copolymers, poly-2-ethyl-oxazoline and derivatives, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and its copolymers, thermoplastic cellulose derivatives, or mixtures thereof. The disclosed preferred thermoplastic compositions are also readily processable so as to provide a moisture vapour permeable liquid impermeable structure, to be comprised in the shape-formed article, by means of known methods, e.g. by coating a suitable layer having the desired thickness onto a substrate, so facilitating the processing of said thermoplastic composition in the manufacture of said articles, for example avoiding the need of complex processing equipment such as extrusion apparatuses. This is achieved by modifying the viscosity of the thermoplastic polymers by means of the inclusion in the composition of a suitable plasticiser that lowers such viscosity. This allows to utilise with these preferred thermoplastic compositions process conditions for the selected forming method which are less demanding in terms of temperature and pressure, e.g. those known in the art for the direct coating of low viscosities hot melts onto a substrate in order to form a moisture vapour permeable, liquid impervious structure in form of film or layer.
It has surprisingly been discovered that by suitably selecting the plasticiser or blend of plasticisers in the thermoplastic composition a shape-formed three dimensional moisture vapour permeable liquid impervious article can be obtained comprising a moisture vapour permeable, liquid impermeable structure, e.g. a film or layer, which comprises said thermoplastic composition and has an enhanced moisture vapour permeability if compared to a corresponding structure comprising a thermoplastic composition not comprising the plasticiser or blend of plasticisers. Of course the preferred plasticiser or blend of plasticisers can also adjust the viscosity of the thermoplastic composition to allow the formation of said structure, e.g. in form of a film or a layer, from the thermoplastic composition by means of a simplified process.
The present invention relates to a shape-formed, three dimensional, moisture vapour permeable, liquid impermeable article comprising a moisture vapour permeable, liquid impermeable structure comprising a thermoplastic composition. The thermoplastic composition comprises: a thermoplastic polymer or mixture of polymers selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, poly-ether-amides block copolymers, polyethyleneacrylic acid copolymers, polyethylene oxide and its copolymers, poly lactide and copolymers, polyamides, polyester block copolymers, sulfonated polyesters, poly-ether-ester block copolymers, poly-ether-ester-amide block copolymers, polyacrylates, polyacrylic acids and derivatives, ionomers, polyethylene-vinyl acetate with a vinyl acetate content of more than 28 weight %, polyvinyl alcohol and its copolymers, polyvinyl ethers and their copolymers, poly-2-ethyl-oxazoline and derivatives, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and its copolymers, thermoplastic cellulose derivatives, or mixtures thereof, a suitable compatible hydrophilic plasticiser or blend of hydrophilic plasticisers,
wherein the thermoplastic composition has a viscosity of from 50 poise to 4000 poise at a frequency of 1 rad/s at a temperature of 210xc2x0 C. or less and a viscosity of less than 2000 poise at a frequency of 1000 rad/s at a temperature of 210xc2x0 C. or less,
wherein the hydrophilic plasticisers are selected from the group consisting of acids, esters, amides, alcohols, polyalcohols, or mixtures thereof.